Practice swing golf club attachment



Dec. 2, 1952 G. A. BEEAFF, JR 2,620,186

PRACTICE swmc com CLUB ATTACHMENT Filed NOV. 8, 1951 GusfavA.Beeaff,Jn

INVENTOR.

Patented Dec. 2, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE This invention relates to improved ways and means whereby a golfer may readily and systematically condition his body stance and balancing reflexes as a step preparatory to teeing off with a feeling of confidence and has to do with a technique during which he temporarily and momentarily increases the over-all heft of his golf club while taking the customary practice swlng.

Golfers like most other athletes find it in keeping with good policy to warm-up before teeing off and this is done, on or off the driving tee by taking practice swings with the driver or other wood club. It is the opinion of many that this contemplated part of the game can be enhanced if a weight is temporarily added to the club head. With a view toward achieving desired results it is now a matter of common knowledge that many and varied weighted attachments have been devised for such limbering up and exercising maneuvers. It follows, therefore, that the instant endeavor has as its primary objective to accomplish what is desired through the medium of a structurally distinct and improved weight equipped attachment, one which it is thought will more aptly meet the requirements of golfers.

The primary object of the invention has to do with the provision of a novel attachment which is characterized by a snug fitting leather or equivalent jacket or boot which may be conformingly lashed to the club head, the same having a tensioned retaining band and being provided with a properly centered and arranged pouch or pocket containing a weight of desired mass.

More specifically, novelty is predicated on the aforementioned construction wherein said jacket or boot has an apertured yoke portion to encircle the coacting portion of the shaft and complemental heel portion of the head, whereby to better assure satisfactory retention of the attachment and to guard against possible displacement of the jacket from its intended position on the club head.

In the accompanying drawing forming a part of the application, and in which like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the same,

Figure 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of a wood-type golf club showing the practice swing golf club attachment in position thereon;

Figure 2 is a top lan View, on an enlarged scale, showing the attachment positioned on the golf club;

Figure 3 is a side elevational view;

4 Claims. (Cl. 273-35) Figure 4 is also an elevational view of the side opposite to that shown in Figure 3; and

Figure 5 is a transverse vertical sectional view taken on the line 55 of Figure 3.

In the drawing wherein for the purpose of' illustration is shown a preferred embodiment of the invention, the numeral 8 generally designates the attachment in the form of a jacket or boot, which in all of the views is shown mounted on a golf club of the type designated as a wood. The club consists of a club head I0 to which is operatively secured an upstanding shaft I2. The head If! embodies an impact face M, a trailing face it, a toe portion 18 and a heel portion 20.

The jacket 8 is preferably made of a sheet of flexible material such as leather, and it is conformable to the upper half of the club head. Such jacket embodies a yoke portion 22, a section of which is adapted to overlie and rest on a section of the crown portion 29 adjacent the shaft, and the remaining section of the yoke is provided with an aperture 23 through its top and bottom surfaces, through which the shaft I2 is passed whereby the latter mentioned section of the yoke snugly engages the upper half of the heel portion of the club head and an adjacent portion of the lower end of the shaft I2. In addition to the yoke portion, the jacket is provided with a saddle portion 24 of generally rectangular form which is preferably integral with the yoke portion and is adapted tobe longitudinally disposed transversely of the longitudinal axis of the club head atop the crown portion of the latter. The transverse ends 26 and 28 of the saddle extend beyond the adjacent marginal edges of the crown portion 29, depend from such edges and terminate at points intermediate the top and bottom edges of the impact and trailing faces, respectively, of the club head. On the transverse end 26 a loop 38 is provided. An elongated strip or band 32 of elastic material is secured at one of its ends to the corner 34 of the yoke portion. The loop 30 is connected to an intermediate portion of the band 32, the remaining end of said band being secured to the forward corner of the transverse end 28 as at 36.

Disposed on the top surface of the saddle portion 24 is a weight 38 of general triangulated form, the basal portion of the weight being positioned substantially flush with the impact face 14 of the club head. The weight is secured to the saddle portion by an enveloping pouch 40 conformable to the shape of the weight 38 with its apex and basal portions stitched to parts of the 3 top surface of the saddle portion as at 42 and 44 respectively.

In use, it will be readily seen that preparatory to teeing off, a golfer may employ the instant attachment by slipping the yoke portion down on the shaft by way of the aperture 23, and then he may lash the saddle portion 24 on the crown portion 29 by passing the band or strip 32 around the toe portion 18 of the club. A more snu fit may be obtained by pulling the band downwardly toward the sole of the club 8. The device is then, of course, in position for its intended use. The fact that the weight is centrally disposed atop the club head with its basal portion fiushxwith the impact face of the head is of importance, because this produces the same weight distribution ofthe a club head and operatively connected shaft, 2;.

golf club practice swing. perfecting attachment comprising ajacket removably superimposed atop said club head and havin a yoke portion surrounding the adjacent end of said shaft, said jacket having asaddle portionoverlyingand frictionally engaging the crown portionof said clubhead, harnessing means connected to: said jacket and disposed onportions of said club'to removablysecure saidjacket on said head, a temporarily usable weight centrally disposed on said saddle portion, and means connected to'sai'cl sad-- dle portionfor securing said weight to said saddleportion.

2. The structure specified in claim 1-, wherein said yoke portion isprovided'with an aperture;

said shaft being" passed upwardly through said aperture, said harnessing means comprising an elastic band disposed horizontally on said club head and lengthwise of the latter and having its ends connected to said yoke portion, intermediate portions of said band being connected to said saddle portion, said band engaging both the impact and trailing faces of said head.

3. The structure specified in claim 2, said securing means being a centrally formed pouch on said saddle portion, said weight being. of triangular form, the basal portion of said weight being substantially flush with the impact face of said head.

4. For use with a golf club consisting of a club head and operatively connected shaft, 3, practice swing perfecting attachment comprising a jacket adapted to be removably superimposed atop said club head, said jacket having a yoke portion adapted. to surround the lower end of said shaft, said jacket having a saddle portion adapted to overlie and frictionally engage the crown portion of said club head, harnessin means connected to said jacket and adapted to be disposed on portions of said club head to removably secure said jacket. on said head, a temporarily usable weight disposed. on said saddle portion, and means connected to said saddle. portion for securing said weight. to said saddle portion.

GUSTAV A. BEEAFF, J R.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,349,806 Booth Aug. 17, 1920 1,536,512 McLaren May 5, 1925 2,008,944 Carmichael July 23, 1935 2,116,655 Berritella May 10, 1938 2,503,506 Miller Apr. 11, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS- Number Country Date 402,079 Great Britain Nov. 20, 1933 

